Power plant.



No. 812,668. PATENTBD PEB.13, 1906. R. MORAN.

POWER PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED 313.18. 1905.

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PATBNTED FEB. 13, 1906.

R. MORAN. POWER PLANT.

APBLIOATION FILED FEB. 18. 1906.

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INVENTOR M M By I WITNESSES:

PATENTED FEB 13, 1906.

R. MORAN.

POWER PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.18, 1905.

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UNITED STATES IZATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT MORAN, OF SEATTLITJT WASHINGTON.

PQWER PLANT- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

T or whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT MORAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King, State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Plants, of whichthe following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to power plants, and has for its princi a1 objectto utilize in a thoroughly practica manner the waste products ofsawmills and similar plants where there is an accumulation of refuse inthe form of sawdust, bark, slabs, defective lumber, &c.

In the majority of sawmills where it is necessary to destroy the refusespecial furnaces are built at considerable initial cost and entailingconstant expense for labor and repairs. In some cases portions of therefuse may be utilized in a steam-boiler furnace; but the fuel in suchcases requires special preparation.

The principal object of the present invention is to utilize the heatfrom combustion of all of the refuse for ower, heating, and otherpurposes by provi ing a boiler plant having a furnace into which all ofthe refuse may be dumped and consumed Without special preparation.

A further object ofthe invention-is to provide a battery-ofboilers soarranged that all may be heated from a single combustionchamber and inwhich the boilers are so arranged as to form apartor all of the verticalwall of said chamber.

A still further object of the invention is to combine and arrange in aunitary structure a seriesof boilers having a common combustion-chamberand common escape-stack or flue, and, further, to so arrange the boilerswith relation to the combustion chamber and stack that all oftheproducts of combustion will be compelled to pass through the flues ofthe boilers'before escaping.

A still further object ofthe invention is to i provide a structure ofthis character in which provision is made for feedingthe fuel in bulk toa point about the center of thecombustion-chamber, and thence provideforamore or less equal division or distribution ofthe fuel to points underor near the separate boilers.

A still further object Ofthe invention is to provide a structure inwhich provision is cal conditions generally.

made for separate hand-firing under the several boilers in case ofnecessity, and, further, to so construct the plant that in case of ashutdown of a portion or all of the plant one or more boilers may bereadily divided off from the rest to keep up steam for small engines,pumps, heating, and like purposes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plant in whichprovision is made for carrying off the residue by means of awater-flush.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a self containedunitary plant in which all of the boilers are housed in an inclosingfire-room containing the steam-pipes, pumps, gages, and the like andconveniently arranged for hand-firing.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consistsin the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafterv described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of aboilerplant constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view, parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail plan of the top of oneof the boilers, showing the large opening to expose the flue-sheets.Fig. 4 is a detail section of thesame.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The base or foundation is formed of concrete or masonry and has aninclined flooring 10, constituting the bottom of the ash-pit thisfiooringbeing so arranged that the resi due falling from the grate maybereadily carried away by a water-flush, this, however, depending on thesituation of the plant and lo- U on this is built the lower portion ofthe wal of the combustion-chamber 12, the latter being shown as circularin form in the present instance. This wall. is provided with heavybrackets 13, which serve as supports for a battery of boilers 14. In thepresent case the boilers are of the vertical-tube type and are arrangedin a continuous annular series, so that they form the upper portion ofthe wall of the combustion-chamber, and in the lower portion of eachwall are formed fire-doors 15, one under each boiler to permithand-firing, should occa- I sion require. The boilers are all connectedto a common steam-main 16, the branches to each boiler being valved topermit the cutting out of any one or more boilers, especially when onlyone or two are in use, and similar water-feed connections are also madeto insure a uniform water-level. The top of the combustion-chamber, aswill more fully hereinafter appear, is closedby a plate 19, and fuel isfed in through an opening in the top and dumped at an approximatelycentral point in the chamber. The bottom of the combustion-chamber isformed by a grate 20, that is formed of a number of main sections.

Rising from the center of the ash-pit floor is a cylinder 21, carrying aconical head 22, formed, preferably, of heavy castings, and surroundingthe cylinder is an annular series of standards 23, which are of a heightless than that of the cylinder. The cylinder-head carries an annularflange 24, which may be formed of angle-iron, and this, in connectionwith the standards, supports an inner gratesection 25. Between thestandards and the wall of the combustion-chambers extend the members ofthe outer grate-section 26, these being preferably horizontal anddisposed at some distance below the bottoms of the boilers, so thatthere is ample opportunity for active combustion below the boilers. Itwill be noted that the members of the inner grateward the outergrate-section, thus leveling the fuel and by its sliding movementermitting the loosening and falling of residue through the grate.

On top of each boiler is secured a plate 29, having a large centralopening to leave the upper flue-sheet free and permit the passage of theproducts of combustion, and these sheets are connected in a continuousannular series by angle-irons and bolting-plates. The outer angle-iron30 extends 'continuously around and is secured to all of the boilers,and to this are also secured the upper ends of inclined bars 31, forminga frame for the support of the roof-plates of the boiler-house 32.

The outer wall 33 of the boiler-house is of any suitable constructionand may be provided with doors and windows of any ordinary type.

Extending upward from the inner edge of the series of plates 29 is anannular wall 35, which really'forms the upper portion of thecombustion-chamber, the top of the latter, as previously described,being closed by the plate or plates 19. The upper edgeof the wall 35 isextended considerably above the top 19 and forms a part of thespark-arrester.

The top 19 supports or it may form the bot tom of a water-tank 39,having side walls 40. This tank serves to catch the sparks and at thesame time protects the top of the combustion-chamber from injury throughoverheating.

Leading upward from the outer angle-bar 30 at the outer edges of theboilers are a number of inclined struts 44, which serve as supports fora stack 45, that may be of any sultable height. The lower end of thestack is somewhat flared and is located directly above the water-tank.The struts 44 are preferably made of structural iron. To the outerportions thereof are secured a series of plates 47, which direct theproducts of combustion from the boiler-fines up into contact with anannular deflecting-hood that extends over the edge of the water-tank andhas its inner edge secured to the lower flared edge of the stack. Thefunction of this hood is to direct the products of combustion downagainst the surface of the water, and any sparks or heavy particles willfall into the water and be carried away, so that there will be no dangerof starting accidental fires by sparks from the top of the stack. v

The fuel in the shape of bark, sawdust, slabs, &c., is fed into theupper portion of the combustion-chamber through a chute 50 and strikesagainst a suitable deflecting-plate 51, which may be adjusted by chains52, in order to direct the fuel in the proper course. At the upper endof the chute is a hopper 55, having at its upper edge two pairs ofbrackets forming bearings for rock-shafts 56 and 57. These shafts carrydoors or covers 58.

With a plant of the character described all refuse may be destroyed andits heat-producing properties utilized to the best advantage and withoutthe necessity of preparing the fuel by special machinery.

While the construction of the plant has been described with considerableminuteness, it is to be understood that the number and arrangement ofthe boilers, their particular arrangement, and the general structure ofthe plant as a whole may be altered to suit varying local and otherconditions without departing from the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a combustionchamber, of a battery of boilersarranged closely together and forming an inclosing wall therefor, and acontinuous fuel-supporting surface under all of the boilers. 2. Thecombination with a combustionchamber, of a grate forming the bottom ofthe combustion-chamber, a battery of boilers arranged closely to etherand forming an inclosing wall for said chamber, and means for supportingthe boilers above the level of the outer portion of the grate.

3. The combination with a combustionchamber, of a grate forming thelower wall of the combustion-chamber, and inclining downward from acentral point to the outer edge, a battery ofboilers arranged closelytogether and forming the vertical wall of the combustion-chamber, andmeans for supporting the boilers above the grate.

4. The combination with a' combustionchamber having a closed top, of agrate forming the bottom of the combustion-chamber, a battery of uprighttubular boilers having their lower ends supported above the grate, anannular casing having a closed top forming a closure for the top of thecombustionchamber, and a stack with which the upper ends of said boilerscommunicate.

5. The combination with a combustionchamber having a closed top, of achute for discharging fuel to the central portion of the chamber, agrate forming the bottom of the combustion-chamber and having a raisedcentral portion onto which the fuel falls and from whence it isdeflected outward, and a battery of boilers arranged closely togetherand forming the outer wall of the combustion-chamber.

6. The combination with a combustionchamber having a closed top, of afuel-chute leading through the top and arranged to discharge fuel to thecentral portion of the combustion-chamber, a grate having a raisedcentral portion on which the fuel falls, a battery of tubular boilershaving their lower ends above the grate-surface, a closure for the topof the central portion of the combustionchamber, and a stack with whichthe upper ends of the boilers communicate.

7. In a boiler plant, a vertical wall surrounding the ash-pit and lowerportion of the combustion-chamber, a rate, a battery of boilerssupported by said wall and forming the upper part of the wall of thecombustionchamber, a connected series of plates secured to the tops ofthe boilers, a vertical partition extended upward from the inner edgesof the series of plates, a Water-tank carried by said verticalpartition, inclined struts extending upward from the outer line of theboilers,a stack supported by the struts at a point above the tank, and acasing, including a deflecting-hood, for directing the products ofcombustion over the edge of the tank, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT MORAN.

Witnesses JAMES GIBSON, HARRY W. KENT.

